Some call it growth. Others call it gentrification. Either way, Greenpoint is changing.
A farewell banner hangs on a deli's storefront. A farewell banner hangs on a deli's
storefront.
With that evolution comes the loss of
many neighborhood gems.
Earlier this month, Greenpoint lost the
American Deli Market. The bodega, located
at 97 Franklin St., was a staple of the area,
operating for 20 years.
The owners, Dennis and Yvette Camacho,
received a vacate notice in 2016 and spent
years negotiating their lease and even offered
to purchase the building more than once,
Greenpointers reported. However, in the end,
no deal was made.
The Camachos are now trying to find a
new home for their beloved deli, but are having trouble doing so due to the rising rents in
the neighborhood. “The rents are extremely
high … it’s much higher than we’re paying
now,” Camacho said.
“This makes me sad,” said Will Hernandez, a Greenpoint native. “This place is an institution. I can't tell you how many times I
went to this place in between games of basketball and handball at the park.”

This storyline, however, is becoming all
too common for Greenpoint.
In the past few months, several mom-andpop stores in the neighborhood have closed
their doors after decades of business, including Cheap Charlie’s at 712 Manhattan Ave.;
Green Farms Supermarket at 918 Manhattan
Ave., which opened in 1977; and Devito P
Paint & Wallcovering at 113 Nassau Ave.,
which opened in 1972.
“Green Farms was always the place to go
for the best cold cuts and rolls, my grandmother would send us there all the time,” said
resident Roxanna Agosto, echoing the sentiments of Hernandez. “Cheap Charlie’s gave
me my first job at 16,” shed added. “I feel like
it’s the end of an era and all our childhood
places in Greenpoint are being closed or
pushed out.
“They had everything in that store” said
15-year Greenpoint resident Maggie Delgado
of Cheap Charlie’s. “Sometimes things you
wouldn’t find elsewhere.”
Jennifer Quercia, who has lived in Greenpoint for more than 20 years, said she liked
Green Farms Supermarket for their “fresh
Polish food” and the fact that the business
was family owned. She also misses Pit Stop
Bar, a local watering hole that closed last year
after 20 years.

On opening night at Eastville, Brooklyn’s only dedicated comedy club, the
120-seat venue was packed. See page 7.

The special prosecutor investigating former New York
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said last Thursday that
she couldn’t bring criminal
charges over allegations he

physically abused women he
dated, in part, because current
state law doesn’t explicitly outlaw such behavior.
In closing the six-month investigation, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas
implored lawmakers to pass legislation to criminalize slapping,
shoving and other violence com-

mitted for sexual gratification.
Singas, who was appointed
to conduct the investigation by
Gov. Andrew Cuomo in May,
said investigators conducted an
“exhaustive review” and that she
personally interviewed each
woman who had accused
Schneiderman of assault. Investigators also spoke with mem-

32 GROUP LLC. Arts. of
Org. ﬁled with the SSNY on
11/06/15. Ofﬁce: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent
of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY
shall mail copy of process to
the LLC, 14 Bond Street, #404,
Great Neck, NY 11021. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

bers of Schneiderman’s security
detail and people who worked for
him in the attorney general’s office, she said.
“I believe the women who
shared their experiences with our
investigation team. However, legal
impediments, including statutes of
limitations, preclude criminal
prosecution,” Singas said in a
statement announcing her decision.
She said she found no misconduct by attorney general’s office staff.
Schneiderman, 63, said he
recognizes that Singas’ decision
“does not mean I have done nothing wrong.”
“I accept full responsibility
for my conduct in my relationships with my accusers, and for
the impact it had on them,”
Schneiderman said through a
publicist. “After spending time in
a rehab facility, I am committed
to a lifelong path of recovery and
making amends to those I have
harmed. I apologize for any and
all pain that I have caused, and I
apologize to the people of the
state of New York for disappointing them after they put their trust
in me.”
Schneiderman, a Democrat,
announced his resignation in
May, hours after The New Yorker
published an expose saying that
four women had accused him of
slapping or choking them.
Some of the women said
Schneiderman was a heavy
drinker.
Schneiderman at the time didn’t deny the allegations but implied in an initial statement his
conduct was either welcomed or
was not as the women described.
Michelle Manning Barish, a
Democratic activist and writer,
said Schneiderman became controlling and abusive — slapping
her hard across the face and
choking her — soon after they
started dating in mid-2013.
Manning Barish said yesterday she felt “completely vindicated” by Schneiderman’s
acknowledgement he had abused

Notice of Qualiﬁcation of MOTIVATE LLC Appl. for Auth.
ﬁled with Secy. of State of NY
(SSNY) on 07/10/18. Ofﬁce
location: Kings County. LLC
formed in Delaware (DE) on
06/22/18. SSNY designated as
agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail process to
c/o Corporation Service Co.
(CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY
12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC:
c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr.,
Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of
Form. ﬁled with Secy. of State
of DE, 401 Federal St., Dover,
DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
#164750

women, and said she would
work to ensure that legislation
outlawing such behavior is
passed into law.
Tanya Selvaratnam, an author and film producer who
dated Schneiderman in 2016
and 2017 and described similar abuse, thanked Singas “for
the care she gave to the investigation.”
“This experience underscores the need for legislation
addressing intimate violence so
all of those who experience it
can come forward knowing
they have protection under the
law,” Selvaratnam said in a
statement.
Under current New York
law, a slap, shove or kick that
doesn’t cause physical injury
can be charged as a non-criminal violation, but only if the offender’s intent is to “alarm,
harass or annoy” the victim.
Charges can’t be brought if
the offender’s intent is sexual
arousal or gratification, unless
the victim proves the violence

caused substantial pain or injuries that go beyond bumps,
bruises and cuts.
Singas’ proposal calls for
classifying sexually motivated
violence as a misdemeanor,
which would carry punishment
of up to one year in jail, along
with a two-year statute of limitations.
Manning Barish’s lawyer,
Debra Katz, said closing the gap
in the law is “crucial to protect
victims of sexual abuse and violence from the deeply emotionally scarring injuries they
experience in their intimate relationships.”
“Without it, abusers can get
off scot-free — even when they
later admit to the behavior, as
Mr. Schneiderman did today,”
Katz said.
In the meantime, Manning
Barish is calling on Schneiderman to donate millions of dollars left in his campaign coffers
to women’s shelters, and that
she wished him well in his recovery.

FOO LOI LLC. Arts. of Org. ﬁled
with the SSNY on 11/07/18. Ofﬁce: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC
upon whom process against
it may be served. SSNY shall
mail copy of process to the
LLC, 556 83rd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11209. Purpose: Any
lawful purpose.
#165052

12207

FUSION RESTAURANT
& CATERING
SERVICES LLC

Notice of formation of limited liability company (LLC). Name:
FUSION RESTAURANT & CATERING SERVICES LLC. Articles of Organization ﬁled with
Secretary of State of New York
(SSNY) on 9/24/2018. NY ofﬁce
location: Kings County. SSNY
has been designated as agent
of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. The
post ofﬁce address to which
the SSNY shall mail a copy of
any process against the LLC
served upon him/her is Northwest Registered Agent LLC,
90 State Street, Suite 700, Ofﬁce 40 Albany, NY, 12207. Purpose/character of LLC: Any
Lawful Purpose.
#164522

2

Wednesday, March / Williamsburg / Bushwick

Thursday, November
15, 2018
Wednesday,
April 6, 2016

3

Is Greenpoint the Next Williamsburg?
continued from p. 1

“It was a great small
neighborhood bar,” Quercia
said. “Greenpoint was great
back in the day, she added.
“Now it’s ruined.”
The gentrification of
Greenpoint can be tied back
to 2005 when the area was
rezoned for residential use by
then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration.
The Williamsburg-Greenpoint rezoning allowed private developers to build by
the waterfront in exchange
for creating publicly accessible space.
It’s safe to say many developers jumped on that
chance.
There’s the 40-story tower
called The Greenpoint at 21
India St. There’s also a 33story tower at 37 West St.
Greenpoint’s most noteworthy development, however, is perhaps the
Greenpoint Landing project
site led by Park Tower.
When completed, the 10tower mega-complex will
have 5,500 apartments, 1,400
of which will be affordable
apartments. As part of the
concessions,
Greenpoint
Landing will also build four
acres of waterfront green
space, which includes Newtown Barge and Box Street
Parks and a pre-K through
eighth grade school.
The expected population
increase, luxury condominiums and waterfront views are
all factors contributing to
higher rent prices for both
commercial and residential

Cheap Charlie’s closed its door earlier this year.
A farewell banner hangs on a deli’s storefront.

Pit Stop Bar closed its doors for good last year after being
in Greenpoint for more than 20 years.

users in Greenpoint.
A market report by GFI
Realty Services reported that
from 2016 to 2017, yearover-year retail pricing increased by 42 percent, going
from $63 per-square-foot to
$89. The price, however,
looks affordable when compared to the $295 per-squarefoot
retail
cost
in
Williamsburg.
Yet, when looking at residential units, Greenpoint and
Williamsburg are nearly the
same.
The GFI report said that
last year, condos in Greenpoint were trading at $1,200
per-square-foot while apartments rented for $60 persquare-foot. In Williamsburg,
condos went for $1,400 persquare-foot while apartments
were $70 per-square-foot.
The bad news, however,
is that the residential figures
GFI reported for Greenpoint
are “numbers that we expect
to continue rising” and that
Greenpoint’s transformation
is “likely playing a direct role
in the rising retail rents that
Greenpoint is seeing today.”
In the meantime, many
are wondering whether momand-pop store will be able to
adapt to the changing neighborhood and rising residential and commercial prices.
Only time will tell.

Mysticism, adventure,, struggle and
a family going beyond their
t
limits to
survive — these are the subjects
s
readers can expect while readiing Neil Perrrry
Gordon’s debut historicaal fiction release “A
lease,
A Cobbler’s Tale.
ale
a ”
This is the story of a young Jewish immigrant, Pincus Potasznik, a
cobbler who leaves his pregnant
p
wife
Clara and children behin
nd in Eastern
Europe’s Galicia region in search of a
better life on the Lowerr East Side of
Manhattan.
Complete with fastt-paced stoa
rylines, “A Cobbler ’s Tale”
immediately engages the reader on a
wild ride as it begins with Pincus’
treacherous ride on the SS Amerika
through the violent seas of the Atlantic. On the ship Pincus m
makes the acquaintance of hooligan Jakob Adler,
a risk-taker who beco
omes Pincus’
partner in crime and chaanges the immigrant’s story forever.
Attempting to make a life for himself in the U.S. and lateer resettle his
family
a y, Pincus is unawaree of the threats
and adversity Clara and hiis children are
facing back inn their shtetl during Woorld
Waar I. As “A
A Cobbler’s Tale”
a weaves
together two distinct storiies of struggle
from
r Clara to Pincus, the reader
r
can enjoy dual, yet connected pllot lines.
Relatable to thhe preesent-day immigration crisis of separrated families
escaping persecution for a better life,
Gordon brilliantly expooses struggles
any immigrant would facce immersing
into a new culture and couunnttryy.
Moshe Potasznik, Pincus and
Clara’s oldest son, adds an
a element of

Kabbalah, the anccient Jewish mysticism around the abbility to foretell dire
events and to bringg peace to those sufffering. As the stoory is loosely based
on true events, Pootasznik is Gordon’s
grandfather.
adds “M
My
A CobGordon adds,
M voice in ‘A
bler’s Taale’ came from growing up in
a multigenerationaal Jewish family. The
small day-to-day intricacies of living
with grandparents,, who immigrated as
children to Americca, provided me with
a direct connectionn and an ability to tell
their stories.”
Born in the Broonx, Gordon and his
family moved out of the city when he
was 7 years old too the suburban community of Rocklaand Countyy. Gordon
g
g school class
graduated
in the fiirst high
from the Green Meadow Waldorf
a
School in 1976. Shhortly after graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor’s Degree
in Marketing from
m Pace Universityy, he
moved to south F
Florida and started a
drapery business.
In 1990, he reloocated back to New
perates his business,
Yoork and still op
Decorating with Fabric.
F
He has two
adult sons, Samu
uel and Maximilian.
Neil has written tw
wo professional trade
books, “The Desiigner’s Coach” and
“An Architect’s Guide
G
to Engineered
Shading Solutions..”
“A Cobbler’s Taale” was released
e
last month and is available
a
on Amazon,
IndieBound and wher
w rever
e
books arre
sold.
In a Q&A
A wiith Smith Publicityy,
Gordon discussed the characters in his
novel and the histoorical events that inspired “A
A Cobbler’s Taale.

Images cou
urtesy of Smith Publicity

Smith Pu
ublicity: What are the real-life, histoorical aspects of “A
A Cobbler’s Tale”
a ?
Neil Perrry Gordon: Many of the
i the book, including the
characters in
protagonist,, Pincus Potasznik, were, in
fact, family. Pincus and his wife Clara,
were in facct, my great-grandparents,
and Moshee was my grandfather. Although Pinccus did leave his pregnant
wife Clara, and three small children behind when he immigrated to America,
for
he
h didn’
did ’t acctually
t ll return
t
f them
th until
til
after the waar ended in 1920, unlike the
story told inn the book. Pincus was indeed a cobbblerr, as well as the founder
of the Landdsman Society of Krzywcza,
which helpeed people from his village
establish neew lives in the America.
During WW
W1, the fighting between
Russia and the central powers in Galicia was extrraordinarily bloody. By the
end of 1914, the Russians controlled
almost all oof Galicia only to be pushed
out in 19155 by the combined German
German,
Austro-Hunngarian and Turkish
u
forces.
Tooday the aarea is split between Poland
and Ukraine. The Jewish immigration
to the Lower East Side is also histor-

icallyy accurate; their influence is still
preseent today.
mith Publicity: What process did
Sm
you ggo through to understand 1910 —
m the Lower East Side to living in a
from
shtetl?
Gordon:
G
Fortunately there is a good
unt of information online describamou
ing how
h people lived in shtetls in Galicia reegion. It was important for me to
fully
y understand how they described
istence and what
hat was
as importtheir eexistence
ant to
t them. I used the same process
the Lower East Side
for researching
r
in thee 1910s. In addition, I visited Ellis
nd to provide an understanding of
Islan
immigration story. This inthe Jewish
J
cludeed a private tour of the abandoned
pital facilities on the island, which
hosp
offfer
f red insights to the immigration experieence.
Sm
mith Publicity: What is the signifficancce of the Kabbalah references?
G
Gordon: An important part of the
storyy, revolves around the spiritual figure kknown as the tzaddik. According to
Kabbbalah, there are only 36 tzaddikim

on earth at any one time. A person
n who
is considered tzaddik, is also refferred
to as the “righteous one.” As in many
m
spiritual practices, as a counter-baalance
to the tzaddik, there is the rasha, or
o the
“evil one.” The story of the tzaddiikk and
the rasha, are drawn upon from iinspirational readings from Kabbalah mysticism.
Smith Publicity: Teell readers a little
bit about the courage and fortituude of
your
characters, and what
o r characters
hat influe
infl enced
e
the development of their personaliities?
Gordon: The particular strengtths of
each character revolve around sstrong
archetypical qualities. Pincus, foor instance, realized his personal ambiitions
put his family at risk, and therrefore
needed to save them from the raavages of warr. Clara displayed increedible
strength and fortitude, made ev
vident
by her willingness to do anythinng to
protect her children. Moshe was a spiritual figure who provided divine inspi
i
ration to those in need. Jakob’s lo
oyalty
to Pincus was unmatched, his ennerrgy
g
unequaled, and was the impetus oof the
story’s fast pace.

Black Friday marks the
unofficial start of the holiday
shopping season. Come Black
Friday, shoppers strive to get
the lowest prices on gifts for
their loved ones.
Much of the focus of Black
Friday is on finding the best
deals, but it can be interesting
to take a breath and learn how
this phenomenon developed
and how it has evolved over
the years.
The term Black Friday was
originally associated with gold
prices and manipulation on the
part of speculators Jay Gould
and James Fisk. This scandal
occurred in September, 1869.
Commodity prices plummeted 50 percent as a result,
and the term Black Friday was
coined to refer to that drop.
The phrase Black Friday
also became famous for all the
wrong reasons in 1966.
Philadelphia police used it to
refer to the Friday traffic jams
and crowding in downtown
stores from tourists and shoppers who flooded into the city
in advance of the Army-Navy
football game held the Saturday
after Thanksgiving each year.
Bigger crowds and rowdiness
contributed to long hours and
stressful shifts for local police.
The retail industry started
using the term Black Friday
in the late 1980s. Spin doctors
turned previously negative
connotations into positive

ones by associating the phrase
with stores turning a profit and
moving accounting ledgers
from red to black thanks to
big year-end sales. Retailers
and consumers rallied around
low-cost doorbusters and other
discounted prices.

Interestingly enough, according to the National Retail
Federation, Black Friday really
hasn’t been the most lucrative
day for retailers over the years.
In fact, greater profits and
larger crowds are often seen
on the last Saturday preceding

Christmas.
While Black Friday may
have been the catalyst, in
recent years shoppers have
made the entire weekend of
Black Friday a lucrative one
for retailers. Many stores now
open on Thanksgiving and

extend sales through the entire
weekend.
Small Business Saturday
and Sunday promote patronizing mom-and-pop stores.
Cyber Monday emerged when
online shopping became a popular way to grab deals, and it

marks the close of the opening
weekend of the holiday shopping season.
In 2017, Black Friday
weekend attracted 174 million
shoppers who spent an average
of $335.47, according to the
NRF.

A Tasty Take on Turkey Just in Time for Thanksgiving
Perhaps no day is more
synonymous with a certain
dish than Thanksgiving is with
turkey. As tasty as turkey can
be, this flavorful fowl doesn’t
find its way onto many families’ dinner tables unless it’s
Thanksgiving day.
Secret family turkey recipes
may reign supreme in some
households, but holiday hosts
with no such resources can
consider this unique recipe for
Holiday Turkey from Andrew
Schloss’s “Cooking Slow”
(Chronicle Books).
By slow cooking the turkey,
cooks can ensure it’s evenly
cooked.

ground black pepper
Remove the giblets from the
turkey and discard (or save for
another use). Rinse the turkey
inside and out and pat dry with
paper towels. Rub it all over
with salt and pepper.
Refrigerate, uncovered, for
at least 12 hours and up to 24
hours. During that time, the surface of the turkey will become
visibly dry and the skin will
tighten; this encourages a nice
crisp skin on the finished bird.
Remove the turkey from the
refrigerator one hour before
you plan to start roasting.
Preheat the oven to 450° F.
Put the turkey on a rack set
in a large, flameproof roasting
pan. Drizzle the oil over the
top.
Roast for one hour. Reduce the oven temperature
to 175° F. Pour the cider into
the roasting pan and sprinkle
the poultry seasoning in the
liquid. Continue roasting until
an instant-read thermometer
inserted into the thickest part

of a thigh (but not touching
bone) registers to 170° F.
Transfer the turkey to a
carving board, tent loosely
with aluminum foil, and let
rest for about 15 minutes (see
tip). Meanwhile, skim the fat
from the surface of the liquid
in the pan.
Put the roasting pan over
two burners and bring the pan
drippings to a boil over high
heat. Cook until the juices
reduce and thicken slightly,
enough to coat a spoon, about
10 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
Carve the turkey and serve
with cider pan juices.
Resting tip: Slow-roasted
meats need far less resting time
(pretty much none) than those
that are traditionally roasted.
The reason for resting meat
that has been roasted at a high
temperature is to allow juices
that have collected in the cooler center time to migrate back
into the dryer (hotter) exterior
sections after it comes out of
the oven.

Because slow-roasted meats
are cooked evenly and at a
temperature that keeps most

of the juices in place, a resting
period is largely unnecessary.
A brief resting time does allow

the meat to become a little
firmer as it cools, making it
easier to carve.

Cranberry-Infused Cocktail
for Autumn Entertaining
Besides the ubiquitous pumpkin spice, nothing
says autumn more than tart cranberries. Cranberries are a major component of Thanksgiving
feasts, turning up alongside and atop turkey as
well as in quick breads and desserts.
Cranberries are loaded with health benefits,
which include reducing the risk for ulcers
and preventing gum disease. Also, just eight
ounces of cranberry juice cocktail contains
137 percent of the daily recommended value
of vitamin C.
Cranberries can even be used to craft great
cocktails. Move over mulled ciders, this crisp
Cranberry Margarita from the Cape Cod

the Fulton Street retail community and our loyal customers,”
said Tunson. “We are proud
to present our customers with
an updated store environment,
enhanced merchandise offerings, and an elevated level of
customer service.”
The Fri., Nov. 9 ribbon-cutting capped a three year, topto-bottom renovation aimed
at opening up spaces that had
previously seemed dark and
slightly claustrophobic when
compared to Macy’s flagship
Herald Square store.
Elevations in some of the
floors have been removed,
creating a unified level surface
throughout. The sense one
might have had in the past of
Macy’s Fulton being comprised
of separate retail outlets under
one roof is gone.
In fact, viewing the main
sales floor from the Fulton
Street entrance, it’s difficult
to tell the difference between
the Downtown Brooklyn and
Herald Square locations, at
least at first blush.
“We want our customers to
be able to focus on the shopping experience,” said Emily
Hawkins, Macy’s media relations director.
In 2015, Tishman Speyer

ebrooklyn media/Photos by Andy Katz

After a wait of more than two years, customers fill
Macy’s Fulton Mall as retail staff plan their strategy.

Photo by Kent Miller

Cutting the ribbon.
purchased the building at 422
Fulton Street with plans to
transform the upper five floors
into offices for tech and creative
businesses. Macy’s retains the
lower four stories, affording
some 278,000 square feet for
retail operations.
A Fulton Street fixture since
1865, Macy’s Downtown began
as Abraham and Straus, the
latter representing the Straus
brothers, Isidor and Nathan,
who had also acquired ownership of R.H. Macy.
In 1928, A&S underwent a
massive expansion of 422 Fulton, including excavating a new
basement. Its grand reopening
took place just 10 days before
Black Thursday, when Wall

Street crashed. Economizing
by putting employees on
commission, A&S weathered
the Great Depression without
laying off a single worker.
The current Art-Deco façade
along Fulton Street was completed in 1929.
According to published reports, Macy’s strategic vision
for the Downtown Brooklyn
store includes establishing a
fashion hub that will serve
neighborhoods from Manhattan Beach to DUMBO.
Brands such as DKNY,
Patricia Nash, Brahmin and
Radley fill the main floor. The
cosmetics department has been
expanded to 18,000 square feet,
featuring Dior, Bobby Brown,

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams greets constituent after cutting ribbon to open Macy’s Fulton Mall.
Kiehl’s, Urban Decay, NYX, IT
and Juicy Couture.
The lower level is dedicated
to furniture and home goods;
menswear occupies the second floor—with a big and tall
department for good measure,
women’s ready-to-wear fills
the third, and the fourth floor
rounds out with children’s
clothing, intimate apparel and
outerwear.
In addition to Starbucks, a
LensCrafters has been added

to the main floor, near the Livingston Street entrance.
Now that the Downtown
Brooklyn Macy’s is every bit
as bright and spacious as the
Herald Square flagship, only
time will tell if it draws the
crowds for which 34th Street
is renowned.
For the moment, it seems as
though the chance to browse
unimpeded by mobs of tourists will be one few Brooklyn
residents will willingly pass up.

RIMINI BAKERY
With Gratitude On Thanksgiving,
We Thank You For Your Business

12/3/18

Our Cornucopia is filled with;

All The Traditional Holiday Pies,
Our “Real” Turkey Cake
Our Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
And a Variety of Thanksgiving Baskets and More!
Like Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Instagram @riminibakery
6822 Bay Parkway
Bklyn, NY 11204

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS ON FIFTH AVENUE
Get into the holiday spirit November 24, Small
Business Saturday. The Bay Ridge 5th Avenue
Business Improvement District starts the shopping
season off right with a FREE trolley running along
Fifth Avenue from 65 to 85th Street. Bring the
family to meet Santa while enjoying neighborhood
shopping and dining. The trolley will make a festive
run from noon to 4 p.m. Small Business Saturday is a
national day celebrating the local businesses that
make our neighborhood unique. Start a holiday
tradition getting goods and services from your
friends and neighbors.
Small businesses are anchors within the
community.
Fifth Avenue merchants provide
funding to local charities, and support schools,
non-profits and many of Bay Ridge’s favorite events
throughout the year. When you shop local, your
dollars stay in the neighborhood directly supporting
Bay Ridge. Find something for everyone on your list.

Gift certificates are available at all your favorite
restaurants, bakeries and salons. Distinctive presents
can be found at a variety of stores ranging from
home goods to clothing. And don’t forget the
stocking stuffers! Stop by one of Fifth Avenue’s local
discount stores for all the fun goodies that make the
holidays special. Don’t miss out on any of our Small
Business Saturday promotions. Be sure to stop by the
BID Small Business Saturday table at Investors Bank,
7825 Fifth Avenue, for free reusable shopping bags,
giveaways and local deals.
The Bay Ridge 5th Avenue Business Improvement
district will continue the holiday fun on Saturday,
December 8 with another trolley run followed by a
beautiful tree lighting at 75th Street and Fifth
Avenue. Join the celebration with Santa and the
Children’s Chorus of Bay Ridge. Do more than
purchase a gift. Be a community champion. Love
your local shopping corridor and stay up to date on
all our exciting events and specials!

Bical Auto Mall is proud to partner with City Harvest, a non-proﬁt charity
designed to keep shelves stocked for hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens
and other community food programs across the ﬁve boroughs.

Right on Target!
The retailer cut the ribbon on
its newest Brooklyn location,
1712 East 14th St., in Midwood,
in an invite-only store preview
event on Wed., Nov. 7.
The store — which is near
Kings Highway — is one of
the new small-format stores
the chain has been opening in
urban areas, dense suburban
neighborhoods and near college campuses. Last fall, Target
launched a 20,400-square-foot
location at 6401 18th Avenue in
Bensonhurst.
The store opened unofficially
on Fri., Nov. 9, with its official
grand opening on Sun., Nov.
11 at 8 a.m., but Team Leader
Shena Pender told this paper
about the excitement the latest
iteration of Target has already
brought to the neighborhood.
“I think what makes this
Target location unique is that
it’s a small format store, but
the size of it is 37,000 square
feet so it’s not the usual small
format store that you’re used to
seeing,” she said, pointing out
that the Bensonhurst store is “a
little bit smaller.

“We have a great assortment
that we are going to offer for
our community,” Pender continued. “They’re just excited
that Target is here and we
also have a Starbucks. A lot of
guests have been knocking on
our doors wanting to come in.

ebrooklyn media/Photo by Arthur de Gaeta

Cutting the ribbon.

Photo courtesy of Infinity Real Estate

The new Midwood Target.
“They’re really excited it’s
really close,” she added. “Typically, they’re a train ride away.”
Pender said she anticipated “a
lot of great foot traffic from the
people that live in the neighborhood and don’t have to take
that long train ride to get there.”
That was one of the goals
of building owner Infinity
Real Estate, according to

Steve Kassin, a founder and
managing partner. With roots
in the neighborhood, Kassin
told this paper, “We hope residents and those who work here
will welcome the convenience
and accessibility Target’s new
small format store will provide
to all.”
The Midwood store — in an
area that Infinity Investment

Director Daniel Gluck called
a “vibrant, high-density and
convenient neighborhood in
the heart of Brooklyn” — offers a product selection that
is familiar to Target shoppers,
but tailored for local residents
and commuters.
“One of the special areas is
electronics,” Pender said. This
includes Plus Mobile for cell
phones.
In addition, she said, staffers
in the store’s beauty department have had extra training
“to be able to support the guests
in any way they can.”
The Midwood Target’s
grocery department is also a
specialty area.

“Being that there are no bigger grocery stores in the area,
I’m really excited that we offer
that to our guests,” said Pender,
who also singled out the store’s
apparel department.
“They’re going to love the
stuff that we have for them,”
she said.
Merchandise at the store includes a curated assortment of
men’s and women’s apparel and
accessories, as well as clothes
and accessories for infants
and children, home and decor
essentials, health and beauty
products, toys and sporting
goods, and more. It will also
offer a quick-trip selection of
food and beverages.

Community outreach is typically an important part of what
Target does and this location is
no exception.
“We pride ourselves on volunteering,” Pender said, adding
that she was “looking forward”
to being contacted by local
organizations about volunteer
opportunities for Target staff.
In addition, she noted that
the store had given a grant to
a local not for profit, Imagine
Academy, whose mission is
for to help families of children
that have been diagnosed with
autism.
“It’s a new partnership,”
Pender added. “I’m looking
forward to seeing what we can
create in the relationship and
how we can help them spread
the message and also any activity we can be supportive in. We
would love to be a part of that.”
The new Midwood Target
is the third small-format store
to open in Brooklyn. Its hours
are Monday through Friday, 7
a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.11 p.m.; and Sunday 8 a.m.-10
p.m. The Starbucks hours are
Monday through Friday, 7
a.m.-9 p.m.; and Saturday and
Sunday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Additional reporting by Maria DeVito.

has the power to boost
a community’s spirit and culture.
NYC is the arts capital of the world. However, Optimum Cable
does NOT carry America’s only arts network, OVATION TV in the
Bronx, Brooklyn and Long Island.
Ovation TV celebrates art and culture and ampliﬁes the good
work of local artists including ones in our own communities.

We want Optimum to offer OVATION TV to our
communities...just like the other New York City
cable companies do.

We think it’s time for Optimum to carry OVATION TV.
We are a growing coalition of artists from the Bronx, Brooklyn and Long Island
who want Optimum to put its customers ﬁrst and carry Ovation TV.
Visit ArtistsAgainstOptimum.org and join the coalition
to tell Optimum to carry OVATION TV now!

Art
ENGAGED EDITIONS
A group exhibition of
artists’ books, creative
publications, and prints used
to promote collaborative
advocacy, foster community
engagement, and address
social justice issues.
When: Saturday, November
17th, 5 – 8 p.m.
Where: Sunset Park/Brooklyn
Army Terminal (140 58th
Street)
ARTISTS OPEN STUDIOS
Visit the art studios of over
30 artists who live and work
in Park Slope and Windsor
Terrace. The annual Open
Studio Weekend is a chance
to meet them up close and
personal and get to see and
learn about the artwork
that the artists and people
love, make and share.
There’s a range of art that
includes traditional and
contemporary painting,
printmaking, drawings,
mixed media, plus ceramics

and sculpture–and other
unexpected surprises. Most
art is for sale, at all price
ranges.
When: Saturday & Sunday,
November 17th & 18th, 12 – 6
p.m.
Where: Park Slope/Windsor
Terrace (Various locations See:
https://artspswt.com)
DESTRUCTION OF
PLEASURE
Destruction of
Pleasure brings together
eight artists that play with
feminism, corporeality,
illusion and surrealism
in their work in order to
create a perspective that
complicates traditional
expectations of the viewer.
In her 1975 essay Visual
Pleasure and Narrative
Cinema, Laura Mulvey called
for the destruction of the
traditional male-oriented
gaze and the cultivation of
alternative perspectives.
When: Through November
29th, by appt only
Where: DUMBO/ Meta Meta
Meta (20 Jay Street)

JINX
A new series of large
format oil paintings by New
York Artist member Jane
Swavely. This new body of
work functions as a vessel,
carrying omens that mark
the shifting landscapes in
which we reside.
When: Tuesdays-Saturdays
through December 16th, 12
– 6 p.m.
Where: DUMBO/A.I.R Gallery
(155 Plymouth Street)
FIVE CENTS TO
DREAMLAND: A TRIP TO
CONEY ISLAND
This special exhibition
brings together highlights
from both permanent
collections to explore Coney
Island’s history from a new
and unique perspective.
When: Saturdays & Sundays
through December, Saturday:
12 – 6 p.m., Sunday: 2 – 6 p.m.
Where: Coney Island/ Coney
Island Museum (1208 Surf
Avenue)
ANNE PEABODY
A site specific installation by
Anne Peabody.
When: Daily through January
4th, 2019
Where: DUMBO/Main
Window (One Main Street)
MASCULINEUS
Photographs by Sheba
Legend.
When: Thursdays-Sundays
through December 18th, 1 – 6
p.m.
Where: Prospect Heights/

Christmas Cemetery
Decoration Services
ROBERT L. PALLISER
FOR AS LITTLE AS $60
YOU MAY CHOOSE ONE OF OUR
SPECIALLY DESIGNED CHRISTMAS
TRIBUTES AND WE, WILL PLACE IT
AT YOUR LOVED ONE S RESTING PLACE

FiveMyles (558 St. John’s
Place)
IBOU NDOYE: FAMILY
The work of glass painting
artist Ibou Ndoye of
Senegal. The exhibition,
entitled “Family,” shows
the characteristics of the
strong family relationships
that exist in Senegal. In
Ibou’s work, through the
fragility and transparency
of glass, we see the ethics
of Senegalese families,
bounded by love,
understanding, and blood.
When: Tuesdays-Sundays
through November 30th, 3 – 7
p.m.
Where: Boerum Hill/Gumbo
(425 Atlantic Avenue)
WALKIE TALKIE DREAM
GARDEN
An interactive soundwalk
by sound artist (and
Greenpointer) Dafna
Naphtali. With music from
and about the waterfront
delivered via in a free iOS
and Android app and audio
augmented reality. The app
uses location tracking and
GPS to allow the experience
to change depending on
where you decide to walk.
When: Daily through
December 1st, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Williamsburg/
Between North 15th and
North 7th streets, from Kent
Street to the waterfront
The Point of Water: Janet
Golder
The Point of Water is a

wall installation that uses
fabricated, recycled, and
found steel objects. In
Bamana thought in addition
to north, south east and west
there is a 5th cardinal point:
the point of water. Access
to water determines where
villages are located. The circle
can be like a drop of rain, a
symbol of water. And the
ellipse can symbolize a body
of water.
When: Daily through
December 2nd, 11 a.m. – 7:30
p.m.
Where: Bedford Stuyvesant/
Calabar Imports (351 Tomkins
Avenue)

BRIDGING TWO WORLDS:
THE LAND OF THE LIVING
AND THE LAND OF THE
DEAD
The exhibition brings
together artworks and
artifacts that speak to the
universal question: “what
happens to us after we die?”
When: Saturdays & Sundays
through December 2nd, 12 – 5
p.m.
Where: Green-Wood/
Green-Wood Cemetery Fort
Hamilton Gatehouse (500
25th Street)

VITTORIA CHIERICI: THE
PHILOSOPHER’S CLOTHES
The artist presents large
paintings she has dedicated
to Raphael’s famous
fresco School of Athens.
When: Thursdays-Sundays
through December 15th, 1 – 6
p.m.
Where: Crown Heights/
FiveMyles (558 St. John’s
Place)

WILLIAM NORTON
In his first solo exhibition
in over a decade William
Norton presents his highly
personal “Myth of the
Manhood.”
When: WednesdaysSaturdays through December
9th, 1 p.m.
Where: Bushwick/M. David &
Co. (56 Bogart Street)

BEACH AND QUIET (A
REST STOP)
Coaxing the unnameable. A
room, an actual condition.
Dubious utility. Situated
images, objects, events.
Ambiance, silence, vibration.
Wind, clay, trees, cloth.
Without the synthetic, the
rote, the mannered, the
cautious, the mercenary, the
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

NOVEMBER
Calendar of Events
Week of the 15th to 21st
continued from previous page

logical. Inclination towards
still. Liberated assumptions,
hovering reference. Delight
in the role of delivery. Pause,
option, breath, freedom.
Friend as unguarded recipient.
When: Thursdays-Sundays
through December 16th, 1 – 6
p.m.
Where: Bushwick /STUDIO10
(56 Bogart Street)
SUBVERT CITY
Conceived by gallery
artist Vincent Como, this
exhibition brings together
a group of five artists, each
of whom are engaged
in varied yet distinct
forms of painterly heresy.
Apophatic meditations
on the modern canon
which endeavor to honor
tradition by undermining,
over-saturating, or inverting

it. From the subtle to the
sublime, that which was
once deemed non-objective
by Malevich, has become
radicalized into a planar
lucidity of the material
object-in-itself.
When: Wednesdays-Saturdays
through December 22nd, 11
a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: DUMBO/Minus Space
(16A Main Street)
JOHANNAH HERR: YOUR
COMFORT IS ATTENDED
BY PERMANENT VIOLENCE
Using cut vinyl and wall
paint, Johannah Herr’s
monumental text-based
murals simultaneously
create a dazzling surface of
metallic and glitter elements
that seduces viewers into
engaging in the polarizing
discussions of these urgent

issues, from women’s rights
to climate justice and the
value of Black lives.
When: Daily through January
20th, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Where: Fort Greene/BRIC
House (647 Fulton Street)
TOWARDS A NEW
ARCHEOLOGY
This group show brings
together artists who
reevaluate the history
of material culture —
presenting installation and
sculptural works that speak
to a mystical, transcendent,
and visionary future. Towards
a New Archaeology features
work by Amy Brener, Leeza
Meksin, Sheila Pepe, Ioanna
Pantazopoulou, Ester
Partegàs, Jean Shin, and
Rachel Eulena Williams.
When: Daily through January
2019, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Where: Fort Greene/BAM
Peter Jay Sharp Building (30
Lafayette Street)
SYRIA, THEN AND NOW:
STORIES FROM REFUGEES
A CENTURY APART
Features highlights from
the museum’s collection of
thirteenth century Syrian
ceramics alongside work
by the contemporary
Arab artists Ginane Makki
Bacho, Issam Kourbaj,
and Mohamed Hafez. The
juxtaposition between
these works highlights the
ongoing struggle to find
home during tumultuous
times and the commonalities
between refugees
throughout history.
When: Wednesdays-Sundays
through January 2019, 11
a.m. 6 p.m.
Where: Crown Heights/
Brooklyn Museum (200
Eastern Parkway)
PROCESSING: A
GOWANUS SWIM SOCIETY
EXHIBITION
A n exhibition of current
work by the eight
members of the artist
collective Gowanus Swim
Society.
Participating Artists: Jessica
Dalrymple, John
Fisk, Natalie Fisk, Abigail
Groff Hernandez, Kristen
Haskell, Melissa Johnson, Suzy
Kopf, Mary Negro. Katherine
Gressel, Curator.

When: Fridays through
February, 3 – 6 p.m.
Where: Park Slope/Old Stone
House (336 3rd Street)
BROOKLYN: A NEW HOME,
A NEW LIFE
As they watched the Trump
administration’s Muslim ban
and subsequent restraining
orders move closer to the
Supreme Court, outgoing
Teen Council Members
identified immigration as
the timely and broad topic
for 2018. In responding
to their mandate, 2018
Council Members analyzed
how concepts of “us” and
“them” lead to stereotypes of
immigrants and considered
how race and immigration
have intersected differently
across eras. They sought
to strike a delicate balance
between the range of
immigrant experiences
across time, culture, and
individual life trajectories.
Council members grappled
with ongoing, unifying
themes related to living
away from the land of one’s
birth— language, cultural
fluidity, code switching, and
American immigration law
and policing. The resultant
exhibition, Brooklyn: A New
Home, a New Life, features
stories about historical
Brooklynites: Harriet Judson,
John Roebling, Nathan
Handwerker, and Shirley
Chisholm, as well as Ravi
Ragbir, a contemporary
immigration activist. The

people featured are not
all immigrants, but each
represent a different lens
into the story of American
immigrants, and show,
without a doubt, how
Brooklyn has been shaped
by the many international
ties within its vibrant and
varied communities
When: Wednesdays-Sundays
through May 2019, 12 – 5 p.m.
Where: Brooklyn Heights/
Brooklyn Historical Society
(128 Pierrepont Street)

Books & Readings
STORYTIME AND
ACTIVITIES FEATURING
BEAR SAYS THANKS
What better way for Bear to
say thanks than to have a big
dinner with all his friends.
Come by for this special
Thanksgiving storytime
celebrating family and
friendship. Presented in
American Sign Language
with Deaf Storyteller Nour
Ellakis.
When: Saturday, November
17th, 11 a.m.
Where: Park Slope/Barnes &
Noble (267 7th Avenue)

Educational
PUBLIC CHARGE
The U.S. Department of
Homeland Security has
proposed a new rule for how
the government should assess
who counts as a “public charge”

when issuing green cards and
certain visa applications. The
Mayor’s Office of Immigrant
Affairs estimates that as
many as 475,000 New
Yorkers could be affected
by the new immigration
policy. Unfortunately, there
is a lot of uncertainty and
misinformation regarding
the proposed rule’s scope
and effects. These town halls
will educate the public as to
exactly what the proposed
rule entails before the
public comment period
ends December 10.
When: Thursday, November
15th, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Sunset Park/Our Lady
of Perpetual Help (5902 6th
Avenue)
TODDLER YOGA & DANCE
CLASS 2S & 3S
This program is being
offered by BMS and MUSE
Academy for parents who
want their little ones to
explore dance, yoga and
music starting at an early
age.
When: Thursday, November
15th, 10 – 10:45 a.m.
Where: Fort Greene/Brooklyn
Music School (126 St. Felix Street)
FIGHT GLOBAL POVERTY
Want to Help Fight Global
Poverty? The Borgen Project
is a nonprofit organization
that builds support
for poverty-reduction
legislation. Come and learn
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

SALSA & BATCHATA
CLASSES
No partner or experience
needed. All are welcome.
Meet new people and make
new friends as you learn the
art and skill of salsa dancing
& Bachata dancing at Dance
Fever Studios. Salsa dance
classes & Bachata dance
classes are fun, creative and
a great way to get in shape
and stay in shape.
When: Saturday, November
17th, 8 p.m.
Where: Park Slope/Dance
Fever Studios (159 20th Street)

MUSICAL SHABBAT
Get ready to sing and clap to
the beat of the music under
the direction of Cantor
Meyerson. All ages welcome.
When: Friday, November 16th,
9 – 11:30 a.m.
Where: Bay Ridge/Bay Ridge
Jewish Center (405 81st Street)

DANCE, DRUM & PLAY
AROUND THE WORLD
(2-4YR)
Through play, games, drum,
dance, call and response,
students will learn how
to dance styles and play
rhythms from Africa and
its Diaspora (Congo, West
Africa, Cuba, Brazil, to name
a few) This fast paced,
interactive class engages
toddlers with creative dance
movements from Congo,
West Africa, Brazil and
more. Students will develop
balance, flexibility, strength,
positive self-esteem, and
learn group dynamic skills.
When: Sunday, November

Family Fun

BIG TRIP!: A MUSICAL
JOURNEY AROUND NYC
Big Trip is a highly interactive
class featuring original
and classic songs about
transportation, the natural
world, landmarks and other
topics familiar to even the
youngest New Yorkers.
Children and their caregivers
will explore imaginary
play through seated and
standing movement, musical
instruments, dance, and lots
of sing-a-longs. Ages 0-4
When: Thursday, November
15th, 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
Where: DUMBO/Spark by
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
(1 John Street)
PAINT TO PREVENT
PREMATURITY
One hour of instructed
painting and you get to take
home your cute penguin
masterpiece. After painting
you can enjoy refreshments

with your friends and family.
This is a great opportunity to
bring your family and friends
together in celebration and
remembrance of all babies
and families that have been
touched by prematurity.
Plus, you will feel great
knowing a portion of the
proceeds goes to March of
Dimes.
When: Saturday, November
17th, 12:30 – 1 p.m.
Where: Park Slope/Pinot’s
Palette (382 5th Avenue)

Film
WAVES OF BLACK
Waves of Black (a night of
short films.) is an event
curated and hosted by
Thomas Duverné. The
event features six films by
Black creators. Each short
demonstrates different
narratives of the black
culture. After each screening,
attendees will be able to ask
questions regarding the film.
Waves of Black is created
to express, and celebrate
the many facets that make
up the Afro-American
experience.
When: Monday, November
19th, 7:30 – 10:30 p.m.
Where: Bushwick/Starr Bar
(214 Starr Street)

Food & Drink
AF POP UP MARKET
AF is on a mission to
make shopping fun
again by helping to build
relationships between the
world’s best brands and the
consumers who love them.
From food and fashion to
music and art, AF offers
something to excite all
senses.
When: Saturday & Sunday,
November 17th & 18th, 11
a.m. – 6 p.m.
Where: Sunset Park/Industry
City (274 36th Street)
BRAIN FREEZE

Nightlife
COME SEE IF THIS WORKS
OR NOT
Jon Glaser tries out some
classic bitz to see if they
might work for a live special.
Come help him decide if it’s
a great idea or a misguided
attempt.
When: Sunday, November
18th, 12 p.m.
Where: Gowanus/Littlefield
(622 Degraw Street)
TWO GUYS TWO GIRLS
What does it look like when
two men write a play for two
women, and vice versa? In
this original double feature
presentation, two guys —
Thomas Fricilone and Justin
Linville — and two girls
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Theatre & Music
THE WIZARD OF OZ
Rediscover the joy of
following the yellow brick
road with Dorothy, the
Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the
Cowardly Lion, and some
enchanting munchkin
puppets, as they travel
through a reimagined world
of Oz. Meet the Cast After
the Show. Ages 4 & Up
When: Saturday, November
17th, 2p.m.
Where: Manhattan Beach/On
Stage at Kingsborough (2001
Oriental Boulevard)
VOYAGE OF TIME
A psychedelic supernova
explodes across the cosmos;
electricorange lava erupts
like a fireworks display; a
constellation of jellyfish
ripples diaphanously in an
azure ocean; and across the
globe— from Austin, Texas,
to the Australian Outback—
human life buzzes and
swarms. In his breathtaking,
decades-in-the-making
dream project, cinematic
philosopher Terrence
Malick (Tree of Life, Days of
Heaven) presents an aweinspiring vision of Earth:
an elemental wonderland
where the process of
creation that began with the

EXP[LORE YOUR OPPORTUNITIES

Big Bang never really ended.
Alongside these ecstatic
images of destruction
and renewal, the Wordless
Music Orchestra and Chorus
perform the exultant sounds
of Bach, Beethoven, Mahler,
and others.
When: Saturday-Sunday,
November 17th & 18th, 7:30
p.m.
Where: Fort Greene/BAM
Peter Jay Sharp Building (30
Lafayette Avenue)
BAND WITH MMDC
MMDC will present a first
look at new material as well
as excerpts from dialogue,
alongside four selected
artists per show. Each
curated artist, presenting
work of 10 minutes or less,
was selected through a
diverse panel of judges
including dancers and
non-dancers of different
ages, ethnicities, and
backgrounds.
When: Saturday & Sunday,
November 17th & 18th,
Saturday: 7:30 p.m.; Sunday: 2
p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Where: Park Slope/Old First
Reformed Church (729 Carroll
Street)
CERDDORION: AND LOVE
WAITS
American composers and
American poets, including
music by Elliot Carter,
William Schuman, Aaron
Copland, Eric Whitacre, and
Elliot Levine, as well as a
world premiere by New York
composer Susan Kander,
featuring the poetry of

William Carlos Williams.
When: Friday, November 16th,
8 p.m.
Where: Carroll Gardens/St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church (199
Carroll Street)
THALIA ZEDEK
An unparalleled voice in rock
music. Her music straddles
the line between intimate
and visceral. Zedek has
received wide acclaim for her
intense vocal performances
and guitar playing in past
projects Come, Uzi, Live
Skull, and most recently
her new trio E with Gavin
McCarthy (Karate) and Jason
Sidney Sanford(Neptune).
Since the dissolution of
Come, Zedek has focused
her solo efforts on more
vulnerable, stripped
back arrangements. Her
new album Fighting
Season combines the grit of
her past with the fragility of
her solo releases, spinning
tales of discord and struggle
from the personal to the
political and featuring
performances by old friends
Chris Brokaw (Come)
and J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.).
Through her exceptional
songwriting and
performances, Thalia Zedek’s
fervent passion can be felt
more than ever on Fighting
Season, from blustering
swirls of dissonance to
hushed whispers.
When: Friday, November 16th,
8 p.m.
Where: Williamsburg/Union
Hall (702 Union Street)

The Air Force Reserve offers a variety of part-time job opportunities with full-time
benefits, including tuition assistance and low-cost health insurance. You may be eligible
for a signing bonus of up to $20,000 for specific part-time jobs.
Serving your country part-time as a Reserve Citizen Airman, at a base close to
where you live, gives you the opportunity to also pursue your civilian career or further
your education. It’s an ideal option for those who have never been in the military
as well as for those with prior military service in any branch.

Damascus Bakeries
56 Gold St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 855-1456
With Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks,
Damascus Bakeries has a unique turkey recipe to share with you. Pasta with zucchini and turkey meat, paired with Damascus’
homemade whole wheat pita. It’s the perfect way to make good use out of your leftover turkey in a healthy and delicious way!
www.Damascusbakery.com
Russ Pizza
745 Manhattan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 383-9463
Russ Pizza has some of the best tasting pizza in the borough, and also great
taste in reading material. Sal proudly displays the Greenpoint Gazette on the counter right next to Russ’s legendary pies. So,
when you stop by to grab a slice or calzone for lunch, pick up a copy of the paper!
www.russpizza.com

Last week’s Faces raved about Tambour Wine
Bar’s Porterhouse steak. Well, this week we
discovered Tambour’s absolutely unbelievable Tomahawk that could easily feed two or
more people. That’s some piece of meat, and
Tambour will help you pair it with the perfect red wine for a dinner you will never forget.
www.tambourbar.com
Taheni Mediterranean Grill
224 Fourth Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 522-2083
Taheni Mediterranean Grill opened its doors in
2016. Owner Malek Deib explained that he picked
the corner location because of the diner that
used to there. He remembered walking into the
diner and liking the accordion doors that opened
out onto the street. He also credits his wife with
helping to introduce him to the neighborhood.
www.taheni.com
Grand Canyon Restaurant
141 Montague Street
Brooklyn, New York
(718) 499-3660
Grand Canyon Restaurant was established in
1983 and is known throughout the borough
as the “Home of the 7 oz. burger.” And it offers a wide selection of burgers and toppings.
Faces highly recommends the Cowboy Burger, served with Baked Beans, and the Canyon Burge, topped with sautéed mushrooms,
ham, onions and melted provolone cheese!

Clark Street Diner
80 Clark Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 855-5484
Clark Street Diner owner Mark is proud to feature
some of the best food in the Heights. It’s a local
hometown diner on a historic street in Brooklyn Heights that is open for breakfast, lunch and
dinner. Mark highly recommends the Grecian
Chicken Souvlaki Platter, with grilled chicken on
a pita, served with Greek salad, fries and tzatziki sauce for a little taste of Athens in the Heights!
Clarksrestaurant.net

Jenara Barber Shop
429 Seventh Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(347) 725-4400
One thing you can be sure of at Jenara Barber Shop Unisex is that it
only deals with highly experienced
specialists that personally work
with every single client. Ella assures
Faces that everyone will always get
a professional consultation and answers to all their questions. She
says the main focus at Jenara is
to make customers feel at home!
Jenarabarbershop.com

Marcello at Sarrica Physical Therapy and Wellness told Faces
about Sarrica’s great Normatec
Compression Boots for helping
to treat clients. He said it was a
great way for athletes to get back
into shape and that the boots
help clients notice a reduction in
swelling and pain, and allow for
an increased range of motion.
www.Sarricapt.com

With Thanksgiving right around
the corner, Three Guys from Brooklyn has a recipe for Pumpkin Bread
that will fit right in at your dinner
table. Phil has the mouth-watering
recipe up on the 3 Guys website, a
photo of the finished product, and
all the ingredients are available at
the store. And we can assure you
that it tastes as good as it looks!
www.3guysfrombrooklyn.com

Real Estate lawyer Pete Weinman is an avid runner and proudly participated in this year’s New
York City Marathon. And he’s always happy to answer your questions about real estate law on his
website. So if you are buying or
selling property in New York or
New Jersey, Pete Weinman can
help you make the best decisions!
www.StatenIslandLaw.com

and scenic mountain views, Shawnee Inn has something special for
you! In fact, you can tour some
of the finest wineries in the Pocono Mountains. Shawnee offers
Tuesday or Thursday wine tours
that include the Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard and Winery, Sorrenti Cherry Valley Vineyard and
Renegade Winery. For more information, go to the website:
www.shawneeinn.com

Savarese Italian Pastry Shoppe
5924 New Utrecht Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219
(718) 438-7770
Savarese Italian Pastry Shoppe owner Mario Giura is proud
to tell you that his iconic store is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The Giura family took over in 1962, continuing the rich Italian heritage coming from Venosa, a town in
Basilicata, Italy. The family is dedicated to creating a product
line in the tradition of old world Italy, including such treats
as homemade cannoli, using only the finest ingredients.
www.savaresepastry.com

Theatre
forVesta
Kids Furniture
and Families
OpensDream
in Park
Slope
Family-Owned
is a Life-Long
for Owners
By John Alexander
INBROOKLYN

Play Nice Theatre has begun its season of lighthearted musicals with positive, life-aﬃrming messages about
cooperation and kindness. And they’re looking for their
July/August cast, musicians, and backstage helpers.
Relocated from Manhattan, this all-volunteer company’s rehearsals and meetings reﬂect their mission and
message by encouraging its mixed-generation cast and
crew (ages 6 to 106) to interact socially and share stories
of their own lives on and oﬀ stage.
In a welcoming atmosphere, the experienced and new
Play Nice actors and crew are encouraged to come early
and linger after assigned rehearsal slots in order to get to
know each other, help each other memorize their lines,
do school homework and play games. Some may choose
to help with scenery painting or prop-making.
All ticket sales from main stage shows ($10 admission) is donated to local charities, a prime motivation
for many participants who ﬁnd it rewarding to help raise
money for those less fortunate through donating their
time and talent.
According to theatre founder Rob Lester, the cast and
crew are like a second family. “Working on a show with

friendly people is fun and satisfying,” he says.
The Brooklyn Eagle stopped by the new location at 89
Fourth Avenue, ﬁve blocks from Barclays Center, where
the two-act musical “The Three Little Pigs Buy
a Brownstone in Brooklyn” is running on
weekends (2 p.m. Saturdays, 3:30 p.m.
Sundays, through July 1).
The Eagle is mentioned prominently
in
the
Brooklyn-centric script in Scene 6 and the
newspaper is used as a prop as
well. The show’s target audience is ages six and up, with
plenty of humor adults will
appreciate.
“Two
six-year-olds
are
among the actors, with the
oldest member more than
ten times their age, and the
family idea is reﬂected literally: the cast includes two
brothers who play two of the
pigs; a mother and her son have
a scene together as an older pig

and hedgehog; two actors are cousins,” we’re informed.
Original lyrics are set to public domain melodies
including old folk songs and classic children’s tunes.
The show, which emphasizes “being a good neighbor,”
plus patience, perseverance, and pig puns runs
through July 1, will be followed by show
after show, starting with the summer musical about kids and counselors at an
unusual summer camp, titled “Not a
Happy Camper.”
The theatre welcomes audition
appointments, visits, donations of
costumes and supplies, and all inquiries throughout the year. Acting classes, puppet shows, concerts, one-day free workshops,
variety shows, and special family events are planned and a fundraising concert on July 20.
For more details, show times,
tickets, and contact information,
go
to
www.PlayNicePeople.
com.

Photos are from the
current production
of “The 3 Little Pigs
Buy a Brownstone in
Brooklyn”

Steve Casa and his wife Lucia prepare for the ribbon-cutting at Vesta Furniture.
By John Alexander
INBrooklyn

Steve Casa has a fascinating story to tell about
how his whole life has revolved around furniture,
even before he came to own and operate Vesta Furniture at 1647 Bath Avenue. But clearly, the family-run business is his passion and the culmination
of a dream.
Casa emigrated to America from Italy in July,
1968, with his parents and seven siblings. In 1973
when he was a sophomore in high school, his
brother helped him land a job with John Turano and
Sons, a wholesale furniture distributor in Greenpoint.
Casa’s job was to sandpaper the chairs to get
them ready to go into the finishing department. On
weekends he would deliver furniture for the business.

Casa was living in Bensonhurst at the time and
learned that Turano had another furniture store
called Gemma Furniture, located on 18th Avenue.
Turano offered Casa a job in the retail store to
set up and clean the furniture. Casa worked there
during his junior and senior years in high school
when he was the captain of the soccer team. He
proudly recalls leading his team to the New York
City finals one year.
Born and raised in Sicily, Casa was 11 years old
when his family settled on Bath Avenue in Bensonhurst. Now, he runs the family business with his
wife Lucia, who helped encourage Casa to open
Vesta Furniture.
“My wife, who came here from Naples, and I
met through the furniture industry,” Casa told this
paper. “While I worked for John Turano and Sons,
she worked for Seaman’s Furniture and Levitz’s

Father Michael Gelfant of St. Finbar Catholic Church performs a blessing at the grand
opening of Vesta Furniture.

ebrooklyn media/Photos by Arthur de Gaeta

Furniture. That’s how we made our connection. We
were both divorced and each had two kids, a boy
and a girl.”
Casa places a strong emphasis on family and
says that everything he and his wife do is for their
children, Vincent, Joseph, Grace and Jennifer.
Three of their children are married and Joseph is
preparing to wed in April.
Casa shared a charming anecdote about how
he and Lucia came to select the name Vesta for
their business. “We have five grandchildren, Vincent, Emma, Samantha, Tyler and Antonio and
we took the first letter from each their names for
Vesta.”
And while not officially working for Vesta, all
of the couple’s children and their spouses help out
whenever they can.
When asked what makes Vesta Furniture stand

out from other furniture stores, Casa again emphasized the importance of it being a family-run business.
“Aside from the fact that we only sell quality furniture, we sincerely care about our customers,” Casa said. “I treat every customer who
comes through the door with golden gloves. My
wife and I are friendly people and we are very
people-oriented so we make all our customers
feel at home.”
Casa proudly recalls a recent customer coming
back just to tell him and his wife that they not only
helped him with his furniture purchase but made
him feel like family in the process.
“He said I went other stores and they just didn’t
seem to care, but you made me feel so comfortable
here,” Casa recalled. “Well, he’s come back three
times and that says it all.”

Shining a light on lung
cancer.
To mark the beginning of Lung
Cancer Awareness Month, Maimonides Medical Center, 4802
10th Avenue, held a flag-raising
ceremony on Fri., Nov. 2.
President and CEO of
Maimonides Medical Center
Kenneth Gibbs discussed the
challenges in the treatment
in lung cancer, starting with
the allocation of government
funding essential to providing
quality care.
Citing the “tremendous
amount of challenges in
health care,” Gibbs said, “We
witness it very visibly with
our political system that can’t
really handle the issue of how
to correctly allocate resources
for the benefit of our population with regard to healthcare.
“It’s an incredibly serious
issue,” he stressed, “and part
of that issue is having the
resources for wellness and
prevention so we aren’t at the
back end treating problems
when they’re too late. Lung
cancer is one of the illnesses

that cries out for that.”
those whose lives are affected
According to Gibbs, lung by lung cancer, not just the
cancer represents about 25 patients but the families.” This
percent of cancer in the United includes, he said, not only “the
States. The five-year survival best, most innovative ways to
rate is about five percent if the detect lung cancer early,” but alcancer is found late, but it ap- so treating patients “with some
proaches 60 percent if it’s found of the new, exciting things that
early. Yet, only a little over 15 we have going on out there.”
percent of the population in
“There’s been a transformation in how we treat lung
Brooklyn has been screened.
“Here at Maimonides, in cancer so that a patient with
spite of the challenges we advanced lung cancer, seeing
face in funding for prevention me and starting treatment
and wellness and screening, today, gets treatments that
we have a history of great were not available even two
commitment to serving the years ago,” added Dr. Kevin
community and funding the Becker, chief of the Division
outreach to create awareness,” of Hematology & Medical
he said, emphasizing “Mai- Oncology. “This means the
monides’s commitment that, if prospects of patients facing
you are eligible, we will screen this horrible disease are better
you, no matter your financial than they’ve ever been.
circumstance.”
“Things are so different
Dr. Jason Shaw, the director now from when I started,”
of General Thoracic Surgery Becker went on, noting that
and Maimonides’s Lung the question posed by those
Screening Program, discussed with advanced lung cancer,
the progress the hospital has “How long do I have?” is “a
made in curing the disease.
terrible question that I’ve had
“I’m here not just as a chest to answer almost every day
surgeon but as someone that I’ve been doing this. Just in
has had two very good friends the past couple of years, a new
ebrooklyn media/Photo by Jaime DeJesus
whose lives were affected by question has come up -- ‘How
lung cancer,” he said. “We are long do I have to keep doing Representatives of Maimonides Medical Center raise a flag for Lung Cancer
very committed to treating this treatment?’”
Awareness Month.

METROPLUS MEMBERS
ARE SEEING STARS!

THE ONLY
5-STAR RATING
FOR ADULT CARE *
★★★★★
See stars at metroplus.org/stars
OPEN ENROLLMENT IS HERE
*Based on A Consumer’s Guide to Medicaid and Child Health Plus Managed Care Plans in New York City
2017. Rankings are for Preventive and Well-Care for Adults and Children. • MKT 18.200a

Brooklyn is a big place
with so many choices!
Let our real estate section
make you feel at home.

Bedford-Stuyvesant

Take a Stroll to Queens from
Downtown Brooklyn, Part Three
You’ll See a ‘Prince’s’ Church and a Brewer’s Mansion
ABOVE: This plaza at Maria Hernandez Park is a good spot for skateboarding.

INBrooklyn photo by Lore Croghan

BRIEF HISTORY: Bedford-Stuyvesant
The site of Bedford was acquired by the Dutch
West India Company in the 1630s and 1640s from the
Canarsee Indians, but as early as 1790, more than a
quarter of its residents were of African descent.
The area was primarily used for farming throughout the
18th century and was occupied by British troops after the
Battle of Brooklyn in the Revolutionary War.
When slavery was abolished in New York State in 1827,
blacks still found it difficult to buy land, but their persistence

made them successful in eventually buying.

subway reached the area in 1936.

William Thomas and James Weeks, both African-Americans, bought land in the 1830s that would eventually become
the settlements of Carrville and Weeksville, encompassing an
area almost as large as modern-day Bedford-Stuyvesant.

The increased population made housing scarce and
unemployment prevalent with landlords lacking the funds for
upkeep on their buildings.

Transportation innovations of the Brooklyn and Jamaica
Railroad in 1836 brought in Irish, German, Jewish, Scottish
and Dutch Americans. New immigrants from Europe, the
south United States and the Caribbean then moved in after the

With grassroots advocacy in its roots though, BedfordStuyvesant picked itself back up with the help of the BedfordStuyvesant Restoration Corporation and other advocates who
created a legacy of landmarked historical sites.
— Norm Goldstein

Here's a glimpse of St. John the
Baptist Roman Catholic Church on
Willoughby Avenue.
INBrooklyn photo by Lore Croghan

Take a Stroll to Queens
from Downtown
Brooklyn, Part Three
You’ll See a ‘Prince’s’ Church
and a Brewer's Mansion
By Lore Croghan
INBrooklyn

It starts with a Shake Shack and ends with a cemetery.
How can you resist?
If you want to walk to Queens from Downtown Brooklyn,
Willoughby’s a fine way to go.
For part of your stroll, you’ll notice this photogenic thoroughfare is called Willoughby Street — which begins as a
pedestrian plaza alongside the 409 Fulton St. Shake Shack. On
the far side of Fort Greene Park, Willoughby Street becomes
Willoughby Avenue.

Eye-catching new apartment towers and landmarked
houses line Willoughby Street/Avenue. It slices through Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick.
We split our story of our walk into three parts so we could
show you as many photos as possible. This is the final installment, Part Three.

inscribed on a Lewis Avenue building facade.
According to a 2015 DNAinfo story, Mike Kohn’s
Alliance Private Capital Group plans to convert the portion
of the property that had been St. John’s College into a 120unit apartment building.

— Continued on page 29INB —

Development Planned at
St. John the Baptist Site
The Prince of American Catholic Architects
left an impressive legacy.
Revered 19th-century
architect Patrick Charles
Keely designed an estimated 700 religious buildings in his long career.
One of the Irish immigrant’s finest creations is
St. John the Baptist
Roman Catholic Church
on Willoughby Avenue in
Bed-Stuy.
The
Romanesque-style granite
beauty’s cornerstone was
laid in 1888.
The years have not
been kind to St. John the
Baptist. These days,
Masses are celebrated in a
small chapel that has been
carved out of the church’s
sanctuary. The rest of the
church’s interior is open
only on special occasions.
The church property at
75 Lewis Ave. also includes a mammoth building that housed St. John’s
College
for
many
decades, until that institution moved to Queens.
The Vincentian Fathers
established the parish and
the college. Their name is

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT
As the hyphenated name implies, the
neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant,
more commonly referred to as Bed-Stuy,
has a dual history.
In the 1630s and 1640s, the Dutch West India
Company acquired woodlands from the Canarsie Indians and named it Bedford. Also known as Bedford
Corners, it was the first major settlement east of
what was then known as the Village of Brooklyn.
Neighboring Stuyvesant Heights, farmland that became a community after the Revolutionary War, was
named for Peter Stuyvesant, the last governor-general of New Amsterdam before it was ceded to the
English.
The neighborhood was an agricultural area
through most of the 18th century, aided by black
African slaves who helped the Dutch farm the lands.
In 1827, when slavery was officially abolished in
New York State, Brooklyn became a popular settlement area for free blacks from the South. William
Thomas and James Weeks, both free blacks, pur-

chased adjoining property in the neighborhood from
Henry C. Thompson, another free black property
owner. Thomas’ land eventually became Carrville,
which no longer exists. Weeks cut up his property
into plots to sell to other blacks. This area became
known as Weeksville and was home to more than
800 residents. Weeksville had its own school,
churches, and its own abolitionist newspaper, The
Freedman’s Torchlight.
The completion of the Brooklyn Bridge and the
elevated subway in the 1880s made the area more
accessible and new immigrants poured into the
neighborhood.
Weeksville, a key part of what became BedfordStuyvesant, was largely forgotten in the 1930s. The
last of its dilapidated houses were set to be demolished before they were rediscovered and restored in
1968 and the area opened for public tours as the
Weeksville Heritage Center.
Today, Bedford-Stuyvesant, in north-central
Brooklyn, is the largest black neighborhood in New
York.
—Norm Goldstein

Take a Stroll to Queens
From Downtown
Brooklyn, Part Three
— Continued from page 28INB —
We looked at city Finance Department records and found
a memorandum of lease Kohn and church rep Paul A.
Michels signed. The lease, which began in March 2014, has
an initial 49-year term plus two renewal options, each 25
years long.
If reading this gives you a sense of deja vu, it’s because a
church mentioned in Part Two of this story is also planning
residential development on part of its property.
As for St. John the Baptist, the church and Alliance Private Capital Group jointly applied to the city Board of Standards and Appeals for a waiver so the developer wouldn’t
have to build 60 parking spots.
In May, the board dismissed the waiver application.

A Wedge-Shaped Apartment Building

As you continue your Willoughby Avenue stroll, you’ll
soon see a recently constructed, wedged-shaped rental-apartment building beside the overhead train tracks on Broadway.
Its addresses are 1000 Broadway and 865 Willoughby
Ave.
Yoel Goldman is a member of the LLC that did the development — and bought the site from the Rose of Sharon
Church of Christ Disciples of Christ Inc. for $1,237,500 in
2013, Finance Department records show.
Goldman is a Brooklyn real estate investor and developer
whose firm is called All Year Management.

Long Live Theobald Engelhardt

After you cross Broadway, you’re in Bushwick. At the
end of the first Willoughby Avenue block in the neighborhood, you’ll find landmarked Catherina Lipsius House at 670
Bushwick Ave.

INBrooklyn photo by Lore Croghan

Lipsius and her family owned a brewery in the area. Her
American Round-Arched-style mansion, built in 1889 and
1890, has a mansard roof and a skinny rounded turret topped
by a pointy roof like a witch’s hat.
The red-brick house is trimmed with stone and terra cotta.
Theobald Engelhardt designed Catherina Lipsius House.
The Brooklyn-born, Cooper Union-educated son of German immigrants was the architect for numerous Brooklyn
mansions, churches and industrial buildings.

A Statue with a Hollywood Actress’ Face

Across the street from Catherina Lipsius House, there’s a
tiny city park called the Freedom Triangle. A stunning bronze
World War I memorial statue graces the .004-acre greenspace.
The statue designed by sculptor Pietro Montana is called
Victory with Peace. It was erected in 1921.
It’s an early 20th-century version of Nike, the classical
Greek winged goddess — with a Hollywood actress’ face.
The actress, Claudia Deloney, was a friend of more famous movie star Gloria Swanson, the city Parks Department’s website says.
Once you walk past the Freedom Triangle, Willoughby
Avenue crosses Myrtle Avenue, which, like Broadway, has
overhanging train tracks.
The first thing you’ll see is Charles Place, a picturesque
dead-end street.
On one side of it, there’s wedge-shaped 1215 Myrtle Ave.,
where a bar called Birdy’s is located.
On the other, there’s 941 Willoughby Ave., a mural-covered
brick rowhouse where coffee shop Little Skips can be found.

Willoughby Avenue resumes on the far side of the park,
which is bordered by Irving Avenue. There are beautiful rowhouses on this corner.

Willoughby Avenue Ends at a Cemetery

When you continue strolling, there’s an especially finelooking cluster of golden-brick rowhouses with windowsills
arched like eyebrows on the corner of Wyckoff Avenue. The
address is 1318-1328 Willoughby Ave.
As Finance Department records indicate, the property belongs to Wyckoff Heights Realty Inc., whose president is
Solomon Jacobowitz. In 2006, this entity paid $4.8 million
for a package of buildings on Wyckoff and Willoughby
avenues that includes 1318-1328 Willoughby Ave., the
records show.
On the final stretch of Willoughby Avenue, the terrain is
hilly.
Willoughby Avenue’s last Brooklyn block runs between
St. Nicholas and Cypress avenues. Then you cross Cypress
Avenue, and you’re in Ridgewood, Queens.
Willoughby Avenue continues into Ridgewood for a
couple blocks. It ends at Woodward Avenue, which borders Linden Hill United Methodist Cemetery.
The cemetery was founded in 1842 and is now nonsectarian, its website says.

This handsome apartment
building is on the corner
of Willoughby and
Lewis avenues.

A Park Named after a Bushwick Activist

Modern apartment buildings and old-fashioned houses
mingle on the next several blocks.
Iglesia San Jose Patron has eye-popping murals with Biblical figures on walls surrounding a parking lot.
Willoughby Avenue temporarily disappears at Knickerbocker Avenue because that’s where Maria Hernandez Park
is located. The City Council named this greenspace in 1989
for a Bushwick activist who fought to get drug traffickers off
the streets of her neighborhood — and was shot dead.

Dr. Sal Saleh, Au.D., CCC-A: New York State
licensed audiologist and hearing aid dispenser.
He currently holds his audiology clinical competency certificate (through the American Speech
Language Hearing Association). Dr. Saleh earned
his Doctorate in Audiology from the University
of Florida.

earing loss can lead to many difficulties in everyday situations. The
ability to understand a speaker can depend on factors other than hearing sensitivity. A normal hearing listener would struggle in a situation
with background noise, competing signals, and lack of visual or contextual
cues. These effects are magnified for a listener with impaired hearing.
As approximately 37.5 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, according to the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), here are some common
signs of hearing loss to look out for:

Photos courtesy of SUNY Downstates

1) constantly asking for repetitions,
2) feeling that others are either speaking softly or mumbling,
3) difficulty hearing at a party or in a restaurant,
4) missing parts of a word or sentence, and
5) turning up the television volume.
Unmanaged hearing loss can lead to a higher risk of isolation, social withdrawal, anxiety, depression, fatigue, memory loss, and is shown to have a
higher correlation with the development of dementia. A study published in the
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has found that the rate of cognitive
decline was slowed by 75% following the use of hearing aids to manage a
hearing loss. While cognitive decline cannot be stopped, this rate of reduction
is considered to be significant and substantial.
It is important to remember that hearing loss can affect our pediatric population as well. Universal newborn hearing screenings (NBHS) are now mandatory for all newborns. Early detection and intervention of hearing loss in
newborns is essential in promoting speech, language, social, and cognitive
development.
The University Physicians of Brooklyn (UPB)-Brooklyn ENT-Audiology
Division offers a variety of audiological and electrophysiological testing, including comprehensive diagnostic audiological evaluation and hearing tests
for adults and children, auditory brainstem response testing, balance assessments, newborn hearing screenings, and hearing aid evaluations and fittings
through N.Y. Audio Associates Inc.

Dr. Talia Mizrahi, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA:
New York State licensed audiologist and
hearing aid dispenser. Dr. Mizrahi graduated from Montclair State University with her
Doctorate in Audiology.
Dr. Suzette Xie, Au.D., CCC-A: New
York State licensed audiologist and
hearing aid dispenser. Dr. Xie earned
her Doctorate in Audiology degree at
Northeastern University in Boston,
Massachusetts.

Give yourself the gift of hearing
this season!

UPB Brooklyn ENT – Audiology Division

Stop in or call today to schedule your FREE no obligation hearing screening!

and had a private practice for 40 years prior
to joining the bench.
“Truly we lost another of the greatest
oseph Giamboi, former New York
generation,” Cannavo said. “He lived
state Supreme Court Justice and one
through the depression, World War [II], he
of the early founders of the
worked very hard to get where he was. He
Columbian Lawyers Association,
showed us what true grit and determination
died on Sept. 27.
was really about. He’s truly a great American
Mass was held at Our Lady of Perpetual
and I’m going to miss him.”
Help Church on Thursday, Oct. 4 and Vito
Cannavo’s eulogy came at a Columbian
Cannavo, past president of the Columbian
Lawyers meeting on discrimination against
Lawyers Association of Brooklyn, also
Italian-Americans, which seemed approprishared a few words about the judge at a
ate as he recalled the judge’s efforts to build
recent meeting.
up the association.
“His wake was truly a sad occasion,”
“He was one of the founding members of
Cannavo said. “He lived a full and distinwhat the Columbian Lawyers [Association]
guished life of public service.”
was,” Cannavo said. “He was always
Cannavo remembered the judge, who
involved because he liked to be the tremenmost recently served in the Bronx after he
dous force that he was. He was a great suptook senior status, as a fair judge, who made
porter for everyone. He understood what this
people feel happy with his positive attitude
organization was about and how important it
— and his red Cadillac.
was for professionals of Italian-American
“He was a decent and kind man, a generdescent to have a forum where they could
ous guy who was happy when he made you
feel welcome and get the support they needhappy,” Cannavo said. “There was always a
ed to continue
in this profession.
Mostly, he
Contact
us
about
seasonal
promotions
online
and in print.
For
three
decades,
we’ve
represented
the
interests
of
thousmile on his face and a word of encouragewas
a
guy
who
stood
for
the
dignity
and
ment for anyone who greeted him. He had a
sands of your New York and New Jersey neighbors, injured by
integrity of Italian Americans in any walk of
great sense of humor. He was always smilAsk for a consultation:
life. We should be proud of what he stood
ing, occupational
laughing. He was exposure
a dapper dresser.
You
to asbestos,
defective medicines or
for.
didn’t live until you took a ride with him in
medical
devices,
general
negligence
or
environmental
pollu“When heQUEENS:
ran for Assembly his slogan
BROOKLYN:
his big red Cadillac, flying along on the
was
‘Atta-boy
Giamboi,’” Cannavo continroads.”
jdh@queenspublicmedia.com
jdh@ebrooklynmedia.com
tion. We would be honored to discuss your potential case with
ued. “Judge, I just want to say to you, from
Giamboi, who was born in 1925, went to
all of us, that you did good. Thanks for sharin School
the strictest
of confidence.
Our over 100 attorneys
Newyou
York–Law
prior to being
admitted to the NYS Bar in 1955. He served as a Judge Joseph N. Giamboi (left) joined the firm Sullivan Papain Block McGrath and ing such a good life with us. Atta boy,
and 400 support professionals stand ready to go to the end
Thursday, August 23, 2018 • BQ Daily Eagle • 17
Supreme Court judge from 1995 until 2004 Cannavo after he left the bench in 2004.
Brooklyn Eagle file photo by Rob Abruzzese Giamboi.”
ROB@BROOKLYNEAGLE.COM

J

FOR WEITZ & LUXENBERG,

REPRESENTING OUR
INJURED CLIENTS

Effective ad campaigns for
Less than you spend on coffee.

IS A FULL CONTACT SPORT

zone for you in your hour of need.

For a complimentary consultation please call us at
Brooklyn
Women’s Bar Association
844-500-HELP (4357), or email us at info@weitzlux.com.
Honors Justice Jeanette Ruiz

WEITZ

LUXENBERG

700 BROADWAY | NEW YORK, NY 10003

PC

BRANCH OFFICES: CHERRY HILL, NJ | LOS ANGELES, CA | DETROIT, MI

844-500-HELP (4357)
.WeitzLux.COM

WWW

ASBESTOS INJURIES/MESOTHELIOMA | DEFECTIVE DRUGS & MEDICAL DEVICES
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION | CONSUMER FRAUD
GENERAL NEGLIGENCE/PERSONAL INJURY | MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a future outcome.
If no recover y, no fees or costs are charged. No aspect of this advertisement
has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

The annual Kristallnacht observance that
New York City College of Technology’s Jewish Faculty & Staff Association has sponsored
for 30 years focuses on the night of violence
against the Jewish communities and businesses

NYC College of Technology President, Dr. Russell K. Hotzler, with honorees Edith Everett
and program coordinator, Dr. James Goldman.

across Europe.
The year 2018 marks the 80th anniversary of
the atrocities and a turning point in the Nazis’
rise to power. Many concerned citizens of Jewish and other faiths today see a new resurgence
of neo-Nazi and white nationalist groups.
This year’s City Tech observance, which
took place on Nov. 7, paid homage to the 11
people killed at Tree of Life Synagogue on Oct.
27 and emphasized the urgency of educating the
next generations on the Holocaust and the factors that led to the genocide.
Dr. Russell Hotzler, president of the college,
provided background on Kristallnacht, also
known as “Night of the Broken Glass,” calling
it a plundering of synagogues, homes and Jewish homes, with the intention of driving Jews
out of Germany.
“The timing of today’s program could not
be more pointed, given recent acts of hatred
and bigotry … Clearly the worst anti-Semitic
act that has ever taken place in this country,”
he said. Extending condolences to the victims
and their families, Hotzler said, “We condemn
the hatred and the violence which counter the
American principles of inclusion and religious
freedom as embedded in our Constitution. We
stand together in condemning these actions and
those who violate those values.
“As an educational institution, we hold an
obligation and a responsibility to instill in our
students and ourselves, a fundamental understanding of right and wrong, of common respect, of justice,” Hotzler continued, with passion in his voice.
“And one of the ways we do that is ensuring
that we learn about and from history; that we
protect the validity of that history; that we pass
it on, and that we draw strength and wisdom

Organ Scholarship Winners
Present Recital at St. Ann’s

Suzanne Loebl was the guest speaker at
this year’s Kristallnacht observance
Photos courtesy of Bess Adler

from it to ensure a better world,” he added. “Today’s program — our distinguished speakers,
our honorees and presenters — all help to fulfill
that responsibility. I sincerely welcome them
and look forward to learning from them.”
However, the Kristallnacht observance also
paid tribute to the survivors, and to the people
who — notwithstanding great risk to themselves — hid and protected Jews.
One of the beneficiaries of this protection,
Brooklyn Heights resident Suzanne Loebl,
a Belgium Holocaust hidden child, received
the City Tech JFSA Distinguished Lifetime
Achievement Award. Edith Everett, an educator, community leader, philanthropist and humanitarian, received the college’s 2018 Distin-

guished Humanitarian Award.
As the gathering celebrated those who saved
the Jews saved during the Holocaust, another
dramatic moment developed during the Nov.
7 program when a quick-acting City Tech student named Raven Hampton came to the rescue
of Loebl’s husband when he fell unconscious
during the program.
Hampton, who has experience as an EMT,
resuscitated Mr. Loebl and administered CPR.
Dr. James Goldman, representing the Jewish Faculty & Staff Association, commended
Hampton in an email distributed to the college’s
president and administration, writing, “You are
an exemplar for City Tech students and for all
EMS individuals.”

Earlier this year, the American Guild
of Organists-Brooklyn Chapter awarded
three young promising musicians prizes
as part of its George R. Mathison Memorial Scholarship Competition. This Sunday, Nov.18, at 5 p.m., the Brooklyn AGO
chapter will host the Scholarship Winners’
Organ Recital at St. Ann and the Holy
Trinity Church.
This year’s winners are Austin Philemon,
of the Manhattan School of Music; and Evan
Wesley Currie and Roshan Chakane, both of

Rutgers University. These brilliant performers are preparing a banquet of organ works
which they’ll perform on the church’s landmark 1925 Skinner pipe organ.
The suggested donation for this concert is
$20, all of which is applied to the George R.
Mathison Memorial Scholarship Competition Fund for future years.
As is always the case, when the term
“suggested donation” is used, it is truly just
a suggestion; the AGO will gratefully accept
donations of any size.

The Brooklyn Eagle of Sat., Nov.
14, 1896 carried full page coverage
of the anticipated “semi-centennial”
of the Rev. Dr. Richard Salter Storrs,
pastor of the Church of the Pilgrims.
Storrs had been born in Braintree,
Mass. on Aug. 21, 1821. At the time
of this golden jubilee, he was in his
76th year.
Situated at the corner of Henry
and Remsen streets, Church of the
Pilgrims actually pre-dated its sister
Congregational community, Plymouth
Church, which was established three
years later, with the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher as its founding minister.
The Church of the Pilgrims was
formally established on Dec. 22, 1844,
although a church building had begun
construction just five months earlier.
That building would finally be dedicated in May, 1846. But Storrs, like
his colleague Beecher, would also
gain renown, and would actually live
to serve Church of the Pilgrim for 50
years.
The full-page tribute to the Rev. Dr. Richard SaltThat Eagle edition, in addition to
er Storrs, from the Sat., Nov. 14, 1896 edition of the
describing Storrs’ expected historical
Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Eagle archives
sermon and the evening musical service, reported, “On Monday evening,
him to remain in Brooklyn.
the Manhattan Ministerial association will enThe article also gave an account from 1845
tertain Dr. Storrs, and a loving cup, executed by in which Storrs, preaching his first sermon folTiffany, and commemorating his long years of lowing his installation, announced the safe arwork in the ministry, will be presented to him rival of the ship Cornelia, following a stormy
by his brethren.”
and dangerous voyage.
The full-page spread included a recounting
He had his congregation pray for the passenof Storrs’ installation half a century earlier, gers, in particular for the Rev. Dr. Samuel Hanand his participation in Beecher’s silver jubilee son Cox, the well-respected pastor of First Preswedding to his own church. It also gave a syn- byterian Church of Brooklyn, just 3 1/2 blocks
opsis of Storrs’ vocation and printed a letter that down Henry St. The two became close friends
his fellow clergymen wrote at one point, asking over the years.

Beloved uncle of many nieces
and nephews. He held the rank
of commander with star in the
Equestrian Order of the Holy
Sepulchre of Jerusalem. All arrangements handled by Herbst,
Trzaska & Waldeck Chapels at
Aievoli Funeral Home. Mass
of Resurrection at Our Lady
of Czestochowa/St. Casimir
Church. Interment Calvary
Cemetery.

HANSEN, Hans M. on Nov.
11, 2018. Hans was born in 1919
in Sunset Park. Hans enlisted
in the U.S. Army during World
War II and fought bravely in the
Battle of the Bulge. Beloved
husband of the late Alice R.
Hansen. Proud uncle to many
nieces and nephews. Visitation
Friday (11/16) 10 a.m. at Clavin
Funeral Home, 7722 Fourth
Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209.

+++

RUDIS, Joseph B. -- On
Nov. 7, 2018. Beloved husband
of Irene, Predeceased by his
parents, Anna and John, and
his late brother Leonard,

Free Consultation
at Our Funeral Home
-- Age 78, of Brooklyn died
Sat., Nov. 10, 2018. Joseph
was born Jan. 21, 1940 in
Brooklyn. He is the son of the
late Ferrigal and the late Anna
Coll. He served proudly in
the Army. He was employed
as a detective with the New
York City Police Department.
Joseph is predeceased by his
wife Helen who passed away
in 1995. Joseph is survived by
his loving children Joseph Jr.
(Noreen), Christopher (Tonia)
and Cathy Ann (Martin); and
his loving grandchildren Madison, Kaitlin, Christopher, Peter,
Grace, Delia and Richelle. All
arrangements handled by the
Marine Park Funeral Home.
Mass of Christian burial St.
Edmunds R.C. Church.
Burial Resurrection Cemetery, Staten Island.

el, fruitful vine, Splendor of
Heaven Blessed Mother, of
the Son of God. Immaculate
Virgin, assist me in my
necessity. O, Star of the Sea
help me and show me, herein
you are my mother. O, Holy
Mary, Mother of God, Queen
of Heaven and Earth! I humbly beseech you from the
bottom of my heart to succor
me in this necessity. (Make
Request) There are none that
can withstand your power. O,
show me herein you are my
mother. O Mary, conceived
without sin, pray for us who
have recourse to thee (3X). O
Holy Mary I place this cause
in your hands (3X). Sweet
Mother, I place this cause in
your hands (3X). Thank you
for your mercy to me and
mine. Amen. This prayer
must be said for three days
and after three days your

Convenient Parking
bayridgefuneralhome.com

(718) 745-1600

1275 65th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11219

request will be granted and
the prayer must be published.
Grateful thanks.

ON NOV. 15, 1948, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “London, Nov. 15 (U.P.) — Princess Elizabeth rested
comfortably at Buckingham Palace today after the birth of
her first son, a prince who may someday be king, and all
Britain threw off its somber austerity reserve for a rousing
celebration. The prince, second in line to the British throne
after his mother, arrived at 9:14 p.m. (4:14 p.m. Brooklyn
time) yesterday. Elizabeth, 22, was in labor less than two
hours, and the delivery was understood to have been relatively easy … The Daily Express speculated that the child
would be known as Prince George of Edinburgh. Elizabeth
was known to have a strong preference for the inclusion of
the name of her father, King George, in that of her firstborn
… Several hundred persons gathered this morning before
the palace where 10,000 massed last night when the birth
was imminent and shouted their regard for the members of
the royal family. Of Philip they roared, ‘For He’s a Jolly
Good Fellow.’”

ON NOV. 15, 1860, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported,
“Last night the Wide Awakes gave vent to their enthusiasm
at the recent victory of the party, for whose success they
labored so earnestly, by a parade. The companies participating were the South Brooklyn Irrepressibles, Lincoln
Battalion of the Rocky Mountain Club, Eleventh Ward
Zouaves and Eleventh Ward Wide-Awakes. They formed
on Montague Street about 8 o’clock, where they received
the City Wide Awakes from New York. The line of march
was then taken up through Henry, Union and Court streets,
First Place, Clinton, Pierrepont, Hicks, Clark, Fulton, Tillary and Adams streets, Myrtle Avenue, Prince, Willoughby and Duffield streets, Fulton Avenue to the City Hall,
where the procession was dismissed. The torches, the music, the steady bearing and the picturesque effect of the
lights and the uniforms attracted a large crowd in the several streets through which the procession passed. Several
banners were carried in the procession, one of which bore
Jefferson’s apothegm — ‘Eternal vigilance is the price of
liberty.’”

ON NOV. 15, 1889, the Eagle reported, “The World newspaper writer, who uses the pen name of Nellie Bly, and the
book reviewer of the Cosmopolitan magazine, Miss Elizabeth
Bisland, have become rivals in a novel task. The newspaper has
started Nellie Bly around the earth eastward and the magazine
has started Miss Bisland around the earth westward. The object
of each is to accomplish the circuit of the globe in the shortest possible time, and each will be desirous of traveling more
quickly than the other. Nellie Bly left on a steamer for Southampton yesterday morning. Miss Bisland left for the Pacific
Coast on the Central Hudson express at 6 o’clock last night.
The ocean voyager did not know the railway traveler was to
undertake the trip, because arrangements for the latter were not
made until the programme of Nellie Bly’s journey had been
announced. Each is expected to arrive in New York about the
25th of January, the object being to ascertain if the journey can
be made inside of 75 days.”

DONOFRIO INC.

taxes, accounting & bookkeeping

8519 4th Avenue, 2nd Flr.
Brooklyn, NY 11209
718-921-1818

JOHN@DONOFRIOINC.COM • WWW.DONOFRIOINC.COM
We accept all major credit cards

I Tackle All the SMALL JOBS that the
Other Guys Won’t Show Up For!
And

TV
Setup

House
Cleaning

Vinnie 718-509-7463
HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Bring your hair
to upper level!
• Hair Cuts For The

•
•

Whole Family
Full Shave
Beard Trimming

429 7th Ave Brooklyn, NY 11215
(Bet 14th and 15th St, Park Slope)

(347) 725-4400
jenarabarbershop@gmail.com

HEALTH

IMPROVE YOUR LIFE THROUGH TALK THERAPY!

ON NOV. 13, 1951, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported,
“Brooklyn’s War Memorial, complete in its park-like setting and fittingly dedicated, stood today in Cadman Plaza Park, a tribute to more than 7,000 Brooklynites who
gave their lives in World War II and a testimonial to the
borough’s faith in the future and its hopes for peace. The
shafts of the late afternoon sun lighted the white limestone and granite monument yesterday as at the close of
the ceremonies the Rev. Daniel J. Potterton, chaplain,
Catholic War veterans, prayed: ‘Bless our war dead, oh
God. Enlighten our leaders in Thy peace. To Thee, oh
God, we look that we may never have to build another war
memorial.’ An American legionnaire in red and blue dress
uniform then solemnly played taps from a raised platform.
A delegation of white-haired Gold Star Mothers echoed
the closing prayer.”

ON NOV. 13, 1918, the Eagle’s Washington bureau reported, “Rep. Frederick C. Hicks of Long Island has introduced a bill to make Nov. 11 a national holiday, to be
known as Victory Day. Up to the present time Congress
has never created a national holiday by legislation. It is
Mr. Hicks’ idea that Nov. 11, which marks the surrender
of Germany, should always be celebrated in commemoration of the achievements of the American Army. His bill
is as follows: “That in recognition of the glorious victory
won for human liberty by the American forces in the conflict against Germany and her Allies and to perpetuate for
all time the bravery, courage and valor of those forces,
by which a complete and absolute victory was obtained,
Nov. 11 is hereby declared to be in each succeeding year a
national holiday throughout the United States, its possessions and the territories thereof. That this national holiday
shall be designated Victory Day.”

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON WAS BORN ON
NOV. 13, 1850. The Scottish author is best known for
“Child’s Garden of Verses” and novels such as “Treasure
Island” and “Kidnapped.” Stevenson died in Samoa in
1894.

You Should
Know This
• The “Betty Boop” cartoon character was the subject
of a lawsuit by the popular singer Helen Kane, who
claimed her singing style had been ripped off.

TAKES MOST INS. & MEDICARE

• Billy West, the voice of Stimpy, is also the voice of Fry
on Futurama.
• Mark Hamill was actually the voice of The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and the Hobgoblin in Spider-Man.

A less expensive way to help
get the dental care you deserve!
CALL
NOW!

1-855-225-1434

The Air Force Reserve offers a variety of part-time
job opportunities with full-time benefits, including
tuition assistance and low-cost health insurance. You
may be eligible for a signing bonus of up to $20,000
for specific part-time jobs.

Get help paying dental bills and keep more money in
your pocket
This is real dental insurance — NOT just a discount plan

1-855-225-1434

You can get coverage before your next checkup

Visit us online at

Don’t wait! Call now and we’ll rush you a FREE
Information Kit with all the details.

www.dental50plus.com/nypress

Insurance Policy P150NY
6129

800-257-1212 • AFReserve.com

MB17-NM003Ec

Saving a Life EVERY 11 MINUTES

alone

BUS DRIVERS CDL
B.O.E. 5 Boros
Hiring Now!!
Union/Benefits

I’m never

Brooklyn Daily Eagle cover from Nov. 14, 1918

ON NOV. 14, 1918, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “With the
American Army in France, Tuesday, Nov. 12 (A.P.) — To be taken prisoner by American troops was the experience last Friday of Brig. Gen.
Douglas MacArthur, a brigade commander of the 42nd Division. The
1st and 42nd Divisions were advancing rapidly that day toward Sedan
and in the region of Autrecourt the lines of the two divisions became
crisscrossed. Gen. MacArthur, who was at the head of the advance of
his men, was taken prisoner by soldiers of the First Division, who could
not believe that any Americans were ahead of them. The situation was
explained quickly and Gen. MacArthur released.”

ON NOV. 14, 1931, the Eagle reported, “Little Rock, Ark., Nov.
14 — Gov. [Harvey] Parnell has appointed Mrs. Hattie Caraway to the
United States Senate to succeed her husband, Thaddeus H. Caraway.
The governor has also made it known that he will ask the State Democratic Committee to nominate her to fill the unexpired term ending in
1933. The committee meets Dec. 1. Mrs. Caraway is said to be willing
to accept the appointment. Mrs. Caraway will be the second woman to
occupy a seat in the Senate. In 1922 Mrs. Rebecca L. Felton of Georgia
served a courtesy appointment for two days.”

ON NOV. 14, 1940, the Eagle reported, “The Board of Estimate in
City Hall today voted — amid scenes of disorder and screams of ‘You
skunk!’ — to erect a $17,000,000 sewage disposal plant at the foot of
69th St., near Owl’s Head Park, in Bay Ridge. Bay Ridge residents
strenuously opposed a sewage plant in their midst and a large delegation, headed by State Senator Philip Kleinfeld and City Councilmember Joseph Sharkey, was there to express that opposition … From the
crowded audience, made up almost completely of Bay Ridge citizens,
came a chorus of boos and catcalls when the final vote was taken, and
a woman in the crowd screamed at [City Council President Newbold]
Morris, ‘You skunk, you! I hope you get the stink in your nose.’ ‘I’d
like to see the sewage plant on Park Ave.,’ added [Borough President
John] Cashmore. ‘Mr. Morris would not be so ready to approve it.’”

You Should
Know This
• An estimated one in ten of Americans could be a
blood relative to one of the original 102 pilgrims who
arrived aboard the Mayflower in 1620.
• The day Congress voted us free from British rule is
July 2, 1776. July 4 is just when John Hancock put the
first signature on the Declaration of Independence to
spread the word.
• Who was the only president born in Illinois?
Ronald Reagan.
• When told that his salary was greater than that of
President Warren G. Harding, New York Yankees legend
said, “I had a better year than he did.”

Fidelis Care is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining,
developing, and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to their race, gender, color,
religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship status,
veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited by state or local law. EOE.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Full charge bookkeeper, walk to work
in Downtown/ Brooklyn Heights. Send
resume to alice@brooklyneagle.com.

On opening night at Eastville, Brooklyn’s only dedicated comedy club, the 120-seat venue was packed.
By Michael Stahl
The Bridge

After nearly a decade of running a successful comedy club in the East Village, Marko
and Tia Elgart’s business needed a new home.
Their lease was expiring, and they had been
looking for a new spot in the obvious place,
Manhattan. Then, one day while they were
exploring the area around Barclays Center, the
couple considered Brooklyn.
They saw young people and tourists enjoying the new nightlife and shopping the Apple
Store and Whole Foods. “And with the train
station, it’s more accessible than almost anywhere in the five boroughs,” Marko told The
Bridge in a recent interview. Plus, he and his
wife already live in Park Slope, which they’ve
called home the past eight years.
Marko and Tia were also well aware at the
time that Brooklyn did not have a dedicated
comedy club. “Brooklyn has a lot of rooms
that do comedy,” Elgart said. “There’s Union
Hall, there’s also The Bell House, but those
are event spaces,” he said, not the same type
of venue as, say, Carolines, the famous comedy club in Times Square.
Indeed, for all the culture in Brooklyn —
from the mainstream events at Barclays Center to the popping parties at House of Yes to
the fine art of the Brooklyn Museum —the
borough hadn’t had a comedy club of its
own… until now. In July, the Elgarts’ new
venue, Eastville Comedy Club, opened its
doors to paying customers for the first time at
487 Atlantic Ave., right on the edge of the
Brooklyn Cultural District.

On opening night, in front of a 120-seat
full house, revered performers like Janeane
Garofalo (“Wet Hot American Summer”),
Todd Barry (“Flight of the Conchords”) and
Christian Finnegan (“Chappelle’s Show”)
nailed their punch lines and sent drink-swigging comedy fans into convulsions. The new

spot is sleeker than the old one, with a freshly
plastered subway-tile stage backdrop, high
beamed ceilings and an exposed-brick bar
area just past the all-glass facade.
While the move seems like a natural migration now, the road from Manhattan to
Brooklyn had its share of potholes. After

7

Photo by Adina Lerner, courtesy of Eastville Comedy Club

founding their original club on East 4th Street
in 2008 — Marko had started producing
shows after a short stint as a stand-up performer — they had built up a loyal following,
based on performances by rising stars and recognizable stage veterans like Sarah Silverman.
continued on back page

The Atlantic Avenue club is near other cultural venues, including Brooklyn Academy of Music and Barclays Center.

Inside the Serious Business of Opening a Comedy Club
continued from inside back page

But it was time to go. The
Elgarts had landlord troubles
and felt the need for an upgrade. “The old space was
kind of a shithole dive, which
was cool 10 years ago, but
not really anymore,” Marko
said. “Our lease was expir-

ing. I started negotiations
with my old landlord,” who
he describes in colorfully unflattering terms. “He just
wanted a lot of money, additional taxes. It was way more
than we were willing to pay.”
Finding a new place for a
comedy club, however, is a
lot harder than finding one

The comedy club has a bar in the front of the house, separate from the main room.
for, say, a toy store. The Elgarts scoped out a new location on Avenue A, situated
within the boundaries of
Community Board 3, the
same district as their old
club. They crossed their fingers and hoped for the best.
Elgart said CB3 had made

Photos by Adina Lerner, courtesy of Eastville Comedy Club

business at Eastville difficult within a couple years. Tickets the pay for stand-up performfor him over the years, for- for the shows are priced mod- ers ranges from notoriously
bidding the front of the club estly, with a $20 cover charge little, sometimes $20 to $50
to operate as a full-time bar, for weekend shows, a buck for comics just starting out, to
which meant the staff could cheaper than Eastville was hundreds or thousands of dolsell drinks only to show- charging in Manhattan. lars for headliners.
goers.
Weeknight shows are $12 per
In Elgart’s case, he said he
When the Elgarts pro- ticket, or roughly 20 percent pays a total of “thousands of
posed their move to the less than the prices for many dollars a week” to the comeboard, Marko said they ap- such shows across the river.
dians. “I like being a good
proved it, but with impossiThe club’s cash cow, of boss to everybody. I want to
bly burdensome stipulations. course, is booze. “Ticket make everybody as happy as
“They were like, ‘You can prices are a low-revenue I can, but I also have to make
only be open ‘til 12 a.m. on source; I would guess 10 per- smart business decisions beweekends, you can’t have cent or 20 percent, tops,” El- cause these comics aren’t
any lines outside,’ just com- gart said. There’s a two-drink paying the huge rent that I’m
pletely shitting all over the minimum during shows but paying; they’re not paying
business we had for 10 Elgart says customers will the huge insurance I’m payyears.”
buy more than that if the ing.”
In an email to The Bridge, waiters work quickly enough.
Spats with community
Susan Stetzer, District Man- “We staff a little more, and boards, landlords, and perager of CB3, wrote that the people will drink more than haps the occasional comedian
Elgarts wished to move the two, you’ve just got to get to aside, Marko Elgart says he
club “to a very saturated them.” Drink prices are a bit and his wife — who have
area,” when it comes to the higher in the main room than two young children — enjoy
number of establishments those you’d find in your cor- running Eastville. “I love it,”
owning late-night liquor li- ner watering hole, or even the he said. “I’m very fortunate
censes. She also wrote that bar in the front of the club be- that I’m not stuck in a cubicle
that part of the neighborhood fore performances begin.
from 9 to 5; that’s not somewas home to “a great deal of
Elgart said he compen- thing I want to do; I’m my
noise complaints reported to sates the comics competi- own boss. It’s a lot of hard
the community board,” tively, if not a little better work, but we’re lucky to be
sparked by commotion on the than some other clubs, de- in the business.”
sidewalk. “‘No wait lines’ is pending on the show’s date,
Read the full story on
a consistent stipulation for time, and roster. In general, www.brooklyneagle.com
businesses in the area and the
Comedy Club was not being
singled out.”
Once the Elgarts gave up
on Manhattan, they found a
place in Brooklyn with a
lease that Marko said is much
more agreeable than the one
he was nearly forced into.
After six weeks of renovation
at the new space, the club reopened, retaining its original
name because, Elgart said,
most people don’t make the
connection between the
moniker and the original East
Village location. Nor did he
want to throw away a decade
of branding efforts.
Summer was a slow season to launch a new club, but
Elgart expects Eastville to recoup the cost of the move Comic Akaash Singh performing on opening night.